Xavier Lázaro participated this weekend in the 33rd edition of the Trofeo Andrea Margutti, a karting event held at the South Garda Karting track in Lonato, Italy. The participation of the Portuguese driver in one of the most significant and traditional karting events on the international scene is part of an extensive calendar divided between Italy and Portugal. Inserted into a grid of 97 drivers from various countries around the world, Xavier Lázaro had a challenging weekend, being excluded from the two most important races in the Mini category: Repechage and Final. Nevertheless, the overall assessment of his first participation in this event must be considered quite positive, given the experience and learning accumulated, as well as the indicators he demonstrated here and there, pointing towards a promising future.
Friday Hindered Access to the Repechage
In a grid of 97 drivers competing in the Mini category, Xavier Lázaro performed well in all the practice sessions held on Friday morning, already indicating that, despite being one of the youngest drivers in the Mini category (eight years old), he can be quite competitive on the track. In the Qualifying session, he showed strength but ended up paying for some inexperience when the driver he was 'drafting' decided to abort the lap. Nevertheless, Xavier Lázaro secured the 67th time (58.056s), being less than a second behind the pole position holder's time (57.208s). Considering the age of the driver and his limited experience in these types of races, especially when compared to the strongest competitors in the Mini category, this is an excellent result that clearly highlights his progress.
The two Qualifying Heats contested on Friday afternoon turned out to be detrimental to Xavier Lázaro's chances not only to compete in the Mini Final but also made it very challenging to qualify for the Repechage. In the first of the two races, the driver from Várzea de Sintra was involved in several disputes, unable to avoid some contacts, which prevented him from improving his 23rd starting position. At the end of the race, the 28th place was the outcome recorded. Worse was what happened in the 2nd Qualifying Heat, where the engine did not cooperate at the pre-grid exit. This forced the mechanic to assist the official DR driver so that he could join the rest of the grid that was already in the formation lap. Xavier was indeed able to join the group before the start, but he did so by returning to his position in 23rd place, when according to the regulations, with assistance from the mechanic, he should have positioned himself at the tail end of the grid. Inexperience, in this case, was the price to pay because even though the young DR driver performed close to perfection in the race, finishing within the top 20, he was ultimately disqualified.
Strong on the Track on Saturday
Xavier Lázaro started Saturday aware that only with three performances at a level that is not currently achievable, he could make it to the Repechage for the Mini. Therefore, the driver relaxed and simply did his best, enjoying the moment of participating for the first time in an event as prestigious as the 'Margutti.' He raced in Qualifying Heat 3, where he showcased his talent, indicating a promising future for this eight-year-old. Starting from 23rd place, Xavier Lázaro finished in 18th. This remarkable performance is evident, for example, in his best lap time of 54.781s, just one second behind the race's best lap, and 0.007s off the winner's best lap.
In Qualifying Heat 4, Xavier Lázaro performed even better. Once again starting from 23rd, the DR driver proved to be daring and competitive, finishing in a fantastic 17th place. Undoubtedly, there are visible signs indicating that once past the learning phase in a category where he is several years behind the more experienced competitors, Xavier Lázaro will be strong.
In Qualifying Heat 5, Xavier Lázaro was not as assertive, and that ended up tarnishing an otherwise very good Saturday. The driver finished the race in 29th place, six positions below his starting position. With this result, his absence in the Repechage was confirmed, a race that might have been within Xavier's reach if the momentum from the two previous races had been maintained.
"He wasn't far from the points that would have granted access to the Repechage", stated his father, Vasco Lázaro. "Even though we knew since yesterday that it was difficult to get there, he would have managed to enter if he had had another good race in the last Qualifying Heat."
Regarding the weekend and as a summary, Vasco Lázaro said, "This weekend showed two realities that are already known: he is at the beginning of a learning process but has enormous potential, and following this path, he will be very strong in the future. We knew that making it to the Final was challenging, but the Repechage was clearly within reach. It became more difficult after Friday, but on Saturday, he showed why all this effort is worthwhile. Xavier demonstrates significant improvement from race to race. He absorbs everything very quickly and adapts to be better in the next moment. He is becoming more comfortable and competitive. We are all aware that the steps taken so far are the best, and the path is to continue and strengthen in the future."
Photos: Sportinphoto Kart Photo-Agency
